If it doesn't taste good, why eat it?

lemon

What this dish lacks in color it certainly makes up for in flavor and aroma. A little salty chicken broth, sweet lemon & carrot, aromatic fennel, pungent garlic. And the texture of the poached fish is very different than baked or fried fish. It holds together well and is very moist.

Ingredients:

2 cod fillets

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

1TBS + 1 cup chicken broth

1 medium sized onion, cut in half and sliced thickly

1 large carrot, cut into 1½ inch pieces and quartered

½ head cauliflower, florets separated

1 medium-sized fennel bulb, sliced thin

5 medium cloves garlic, pressed

salt and pepper to taste

chopped fennel greens for garnish

Directions:

Slice onion and chop garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes

Rub cod with lemon juice and season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside

Heat 1 TBS broth in a skillet and sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes,stirring often

Add the rest of the broth and the carrots. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes, covered

Add the cauliflower, fennel, and garlic. Place cod steaks on top and continue to cook, covered, for about 11-12 more minutes

Season with salt and pepper

Serve sprinkled with chopped fennel greens

Cod served on a bed of quinoa

And with the left-over fennel bits I created a cocktail- 1/4 lemonade : 3/4 seltzer : fennel stalk

Looking for an easy, low-fat side dish to bring to a party? Or something that could be either a salad or a dip for tortilla chips? Maybe a make-ahead dish that will be fantastic as left-overs for lunch for the week? Or a vegetarian main? I’ve got all of your bases covered. Creamy beans, sweet red pepper chunks and corn niblets, crunchy pepitas, bangin’! cilantro flavor.

Ingredients:

½ cup minced onion

2 medium cloves garlic, pressed

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ cup diced red bell pepper

2 TBS pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

3 TBS fresh lemon juice

salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Mince onions and press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes

Mix all ingredients together and serve

We had this as a side to some ribs that I’ll post about another day 😉 The salad really added to the color pallet.

That’s right, I said sausage. And not those greasy pork sausages either. Nice, lean chicken sausages. Still packed with flavor, but literally half of the fat (8 g versus 16). Imagine the spicy and salty flavor of the sausage with the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, and the zestiness of the lemon, balanced with the mild basil and you’ve got a very tasty dish to fancy!

Ingredients:

3/4 pound farfalle (bowtie) pasta

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 hot Italian chicken sausages

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 bunch basil, torn

1 pound cherry , halved

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente

Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet. Brown the sausages, then slice into coins

Add garlic and cook until sausage is cooked through, just another minute or so

So the title of this dish may not seem so catchy, but the flavor is great! By using both the zest and the juice of the lemon you get a super flavor that holds up well after the fish has baked. And because it only cooks for 15 minutes, the lemon doesn’t get that bitterness to it that it sometimes can after cooking. As for the pea portion, imagine sweet and earthy and bright. The onion and the garlic mellow out after cooking, and the peas really are the super-star. I served this with jasmine rice that had been cooked in chicken broth and water, and the pea puree was great on its own, and mixed with the rice.

baked lemon-parsley cod with pea puree and jasmine rice

Ingredients:

1 lb cod filets (thick cut)

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

3 TBS chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

pinch cayenne

1 medium onion, chopped

4 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced

4 TBS chicken (or vegetable) broth

15 oz frozen sweet peas

4 TBS sunflower seeds (raw and unsalted)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F

Chop onion and mince or press the garlic and let sit for 5 minutes

Mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt, and cayenne in a small bowl

Rub cod filets with the marinade and place it in a baking dish. Place the fish in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes

While the fish is baking, heat 1 TBS broth in a skillet. Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent

While out marketing a few days ago I came across three nice-looking tuna steaks, so I picked them up. In the same 24 hours I received an email with a wonderful-looking recipe for Asian tuna: a sweet and syrupy pan sauce with thick slices of shitake mushrooms in it. I figured that this was meant to be, so I tried it out. Wow am I ever glad that I did!

Asian tuna, jasmine rice, and a side salad

Ingredients:

tuna steaks

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 cup minced scallion

3 medium cloves garlic, pressed

1 TBS minced fresh ginger

2 cups thickly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms (remove stems)

1 TBS chicken broth

1 cup orange juice

2 TBS tamari

2 TBS chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the grill

Rub tuna with lemon juice and season with a little salt and pepper and set aside

Heat 1 TBS broth in a large skillet on the stovetop. Sauté the scallion, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms in broth for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly over a medium heat

Add orange juice and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the tamari and cilantro